Mass Effect: Synthesis
by Sylvanfeather
Summary: An investigation into a scientific experiment reveals results no one could have predicted, and one woman's struggle to decide between what is ethical and what is morally right. Original character story.
1. Chapter 1

Author's notes:

I've never written any fanfic before but the Mass Effect universe really inspired me. These characters and the story just shaped itself, I'm only trying to keep up with them. Thanks for reading!

Special thanks to BioWare, who owns Mass Effect

**Chapter 1**

A square orange light blinked at an alarming rate on the console to her right and without shifting her gaze away from the window, Rhova Lyft reached over and made a swiping motion to turn off the proximity warning. Instantly the light went out and in the distance there was a muted clicking noise, followed by a hiss, as a port airlock unsealed. With her gaze trained on the leftmost window, Rhova stood motionless for a long moment as she watched for any signs of movement. Scans had shown there were no life signs on the other vessel, however she had not survived this long out in the Nemean Abyss without learning to be being cautious.

Queuing up a destination on the nav computer, Rhova synced her omni-tool with the main terminal before flicking through commands to lock the console. Satisfied that should anything happen to her aboard the other vessel she could remotely command her shuttle to leave, she left the cockpit.

Outside the cockpit, the modified cargo area was small but still large enough to accommodate Rhova's needs while she was away on missions such as this. An assortment of boxes were stacked neatly alongside both sides of the room so it formed a narrow walkway from the cockpit to the back of the shuttle, with space left clear to access the airlock. On the stern side of the shuttle was another door, this one lead into a small cabin that served as sleeping quarters. Large enough for a single bunk and tiny bathroom, it suited Rhova to a tee.

In the cargo area, Rhova picked up a pistol she had prepped and readied from atop a battered crate and set it into holster clip on her right hip. She then picked up the other gun she had readied, a heavy shotgun which she holstered over her shoulder, the subtle weight of which set her mind at ease; it had gotten her out of more than one tough jam. The last item she picked up was slim glossy black club, no longer than a foot in length, and this too she holstered into place beside the shotgun.

Out of habit more than necessity, Rhova double-checked the fastenings of her helmet before she approached the port airlock. Tapping her security code into the numpad, the interior door slid into the wall and Rhova stepped into the space beyond. As she punched her code into the pad on the other side, the interior door slid quickly back into place and there was another hiss as all the air was pumped from the room, readying for the vacuum on the exterior. Taking a deep breath through her mouth, Rhova exhaled slowly through her nose as the exterior door pulled back to reveal the void beyond. She held her position for a full minute before she took the few steps that would put her onto the other vessel.

The airlock door on the other vessel was closed but Rhova knew it meant nothing. On her approach, she had seen the hull breach along the port side and knew from her scans there was no atmosphere left aboard the other ship. However, she _did_ need to get the airlock open in order to board so she brought left hand up to activate her omni-tool. Fortunately, she had some of the most advanced hacks money could buy installed on the tool, which allowed her to have the seal open within a few minutes.

There was no sound as the airlock door pulled back and no sign of movement beyond. In fact, Rhova thought with a frown, in the absolute darkness that lay beyond, there was no sign of anything. Living in habitats, on space stations or aboard cruise ships, a person could easily forget about the darkness of space; for Rhova, it was just another circumstance of her job. Prepared for most any eventuality, she tapped a button near the temple of her helmet and the area in front of her was immediately illuminated as three bluish-white lights above her faceplate switched on.

The light reflected off particles of dust and floating debris, as she cautiously crept along the corridor leading to the interior of the dead ship. Without conscious thought, her pistol had made its' way into her hand, however instead of holding it in a defensive stance, Rhova kept it pointed downward parallel to her body as she passed through the hallway. At the end of the hall, she paused to bring up her omni-tool again - cautious to a fault - she performed another scan of the ship and referred to the ships' blueprints in order to determine her route. Her destination was two decks above and with no power, the elevator was not an option. Locating a service ladder closest to her current position, Rhova made for that.

It was a silent and uneventful climb but on emerging onto the officer's deck, Rhova remained in a crouched position as she tried to peer into the black void beyond the reach of her lights. Quickly she consulted her scanner again before she stood and moved across the large room that had once functioned as a common area but was now a barren space devoid of anything other than a few cushioned benches and a couple abandoned data pads.

Outside the common room, Rhova began to examine the doors that lined the corridor, looking specifically at the small letters stencilled approximately half-way up.

Barren, A. Lt

Steman, M. Cpt

Avers, T. Lt

_Bingo, this was it._

Triggering the manual override from the access panel, Rhova physically slid the door open and stepped into the lieutenant's room. The pale glow of her helmet lamp revealed a bed centered against the opposite wall, a small table with two chairs and a desk wedged between a closet and the outer wall. Any personal items had been removed and there was nothing that might indicate the room had been once occupied. For a moment a curse hovered on the tip of Rhova's tongue. Had she come all this way only to find out that scavengers had stripped the derelict vessel clean? But as a frown creased her brow, she reminded herself that the ship was in too good of condition for it to have been stripped by scavengers.

The likely hiding spot was the closet but from what Rhova had learned about the lieutenant, he seemed too smart to use the obviously place. Glancing around the sparse room, her gaze settled on the bed. It was standard issue Alliance furniture, which meant it was bulky but sturdy enough to last a generation - or two - if needed. Bending slightly, she placed her hands on one corner of the mattress and used the slight bit of leverage to shove at the heavy cushion, pushing it from its' place, but the box form beneath the mattress was solid with no sign of a compartment in the space revealed.

Undaunted, Rhova placed a booted foot on the side of the mattress and pushed with her full weight. Sliding to the floor in a silent motion, the mattress lay discarded in a heap as she bent angled her head toward the bed frame to examine the flat surface in the dim light of her head lamp.

A less observant person might have missed the faint marks on the dull surface but Rhova knelt until her gaze was even with the bed to get a closer look. What looked to be scratches was in reality a small rectangle plate set into the bed frame. Dragging a finger over the plate, she could see no way to open the compartment and unfortunately, her gloves prevented her from using her fingers to pry it open. She reached over her shoulder and detached the slim club she had holstered there earlier. Gripping the club tightly, she flicked a small button near the top with her thumb in order to release the hidden blade collapsed within. A small vibration rippled up her arm as the dagger was released from the club in a glint of steel. Extending the same length as the hilt, it was a thin piece of metal honed to a deadly sharpness, a dangerous weapon in the hands of right person. In this instance Rhova did not intend to use it against an enemy but as a tool to pry open the cover.

She carefully pressed the tip of the blade into the crack along one side of the plate and put pressure on it until the cover flipped open. Lying in the bottom of the tiny compartment was a chip, no bigger than her thumb. Rhova allowed herself a pleased smile but as she reached into the compartment to withdraw the data stick, a warning beep echoed inside her helmet and simultaneously the light of her omni-tool started to flash on her left forearm.

Her eyebrows pulled downward in a frown as she checked the output on her omni-tool, her fingers dialled through the menus quickly as she accessed her shuttle's sensors. There was no mistake; the sensors had picked up on the FTL signature of an approaching ship. A quick calculation showed that she had only 3 minutes before it arrived.

Hastily Rhova retrieved the data stick and secured the chip inside a pocket fashioned into the breastplate of her armour as she exited the cabin. Less cautious now that haste was of importance, she retraced her steps back to the maintenance ladder. With only a brief glance down the dark tunnel that was the access space, Rhova placed both feet onto the ladder for only a few seconds before she let go to fall to the floor below. Before she could hit the walkway that separated the decks, she flattened her palms out alongside her body and summoned a biotic barrier to cushion the impact. With only a pause to allow herself a deep breath, she moved to the next maintenance access and repeated her actions to descend to the floor below.

Back on the same level as the airlock, Rhova spared a moment to glance at the countdown clock on her omni-tool.

1:45

_Damn. They're travelling faster than I expected._

But there was no time for panic. Instead of running through the dead ship as her instincts urged her, she fell back on her training. Rushing would only lead to mistakes - mistakes she couldn't afford to make. With another deep, steadying breath, she carefully and deliberately strode back along the corridors to the airlock.

Upon reaching the airlock, Rhova accessed her omni-tool and dialled up her shuttle's remote engine access. She punched in the code to start up the vessel's engine, as her mind registered the fact she only had 57 seconds remaining before the unknown ship arrived. Accessing the security lock outside the shuttle, she opened the exterior doors on the shuttle. With time so tight, the twenty second decontamination cycle felt like an eternity but it was a process that couldn't afford to be bypassed.

By the time the interior door hissed open, Rhova had already synced her omni-tool to the drive controls and was in the process of activating the co-ordinates for her destination. Pressing the wall button to open the door to the cockpit, she quickly slid into the pilot's seat. The screen in front of her flickered to life at her presence, the confirmation screen for the destination "Cartagena Station" written across the screen as the console waited for her access code. Typing in the command, she had only a moment to glance out the port window one last time before the engine roared to life and they made the transition to FTL.

Rhova felt a moment of regret that she couldn't have covered her tracks within the derelict vessel, however it was of greater importance to retrieve and escape with the information than to prevent anyone from knowing that she _had_ retrieved it. It was just as unfortunate that her engine's energy signature would leave a clear trail for anyone to follow, but if luck was on her side she would arrive at the station within a couple of hours and once there, it would be easy to mask the trail of her shuttle among the many ships that docked at the hub. Her only worry now was whether or not her contact would be ready for her arrival.

Finally allowing herself a moment to collect her thoughts, Rhova reached for the clips that secured her helmet and released them in a series of quick flips. Free from the stale air inside her suit, she inhaled deeply, relishing the semi-fresh air inside her small ship. Sweat had matted her short hair into tight curls along her temple and neck, and Rhova shook her head vigorously to unstick the clinging strands.

She punched her contact's number into the comm channel and schooled her face into her most serious expression. She leaned in close to the screen and spoke in an even, controlled tone as she left a message on the recording service. "Thaisa, hope you are ready for travel. I'm about an hour and forty minutes out from Carta and will be looking for you at The Fringe."

As she closed the comm channel, Rhova leaned back in the pilot seat with a grimace. The message would barely reach Thaisa ahead of her arrival and there would be no time for her to resupply before departure. She could only hope that Thaisa would be ready and waiting at the bar as she had asked and hopefully have a ship already to pass through the Nemean Relay.

With little more than an hour left to prepare for her arrival at Cartagena, Rhova had no time to relax. Standing she rolled her shoulders, stretching them to the limit her armour allowed before she entered the cargo area. Quickly, efficiently, she rummaged through several of the crates, selecting a particular item or two before she closed the crates and put them back into place along the hull. Piling her selected items into a smaller carrying case, Rhova took everything she would need when she left the shuttle. With this mission nearly complete, she didn't know when she would be returning to the small ship.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

As the shuttle came out of FTL, Rhova glanced out the window toward Cartagena Station and felt a small degree of reassurance at the amount of activity occurring around the station. There would be no difficulty to hiding the shuttle's energy signature among the traffic coming in and out of the station, or at least she would be able to hide it well enough to be in and gone again without being found. As she approached the space hub, an incoming message from station security blinked up on the comm channel. Rhova touched a dial and a disembodied voice, filled with authority, came over through the cockpit's speakers.

"Shuttlecraft two-two-nine-alpha, please wait for docking clearance."

She reached for her helmet as she responded to the direction. "I've prearranged clearance with Thaisa Silveris and am expected in docking hangar 3-7X."

There was a minute of silence from the comm and in that time she secured her helmet into place, effectively hiding her face. The voice that came back across the comm channel this time was different, the voice stern and even more commanding. "Identify yourself two-two-nine-alpha."

No doubt they had checked the name supplied to them and were doubtful that someone with her reputation would be seeking out Thaisa purposefully. Hiding the smile in her voice, she calmly replied. "Shuttle 229A, single passenger only - Rhova Lyft - here by appointment. My ident card information has been sent through."

A minute passed before a green light flashed across the control panel, indicating her identity was confirmed and permission to dock had been cleared.

"Clearance to proceed granted."

Rhova guided the small vessel into the docking hangar Thaisa had arranged for her use and after initiating the engine shutdown procedure, she left the cockpit. In the cargo area, she only took a second to glance around the cramped space that had served as her home for the past two weeks before she picked up the small case she'd packed.

When the airlock opened, there were two guards waiting on the other side, both turian and both heavily armoured. As she walked off the shuttle, she nodded her head politely to the guards before making the quip, "Welcoming committee?"

The senior-most guard grunted and replied, "Standard procedure. Just need to be sure your clearance pass checks out. "

As she handed the guard her credentials, Rhova noted that his gaze had drifted downward to her chestplate and the symbol that was placed just off-center. With her face hidden behind her helmet, she allowed her lips to curl upward in amusement. The marking - a small self-indulgence that she allowed herself - was hard to ignore.

Etched in cerulean blue, it was the greek letter 'Rho' but it had been fashioned so the tail on the 'P' was extended and angled to resemble a dagger. By now, most people who saw the mark recognized it by reputation and were willing to let her by without much trouble, unless they were looking for trouble themselves.

The guard pressed a few keys on his own datapad before handing Rhova back her ident card. "Thanks, that will be all."

"In that case, gentlemen, I should be on my way. Appointment to keep and all…"

Rhova moved past the turians but the second guard called out before she got too far away. "Ms. Lyft... the security captain wanted to remind you there's no trouble on this station that you don't go looking for yourself."

Her back to the guards, Rhova just shook her head to herself; she had to at least give them points for daring the subtle threat. Without looking back, she quickly left the docking area and went in search of the taxi hub.

As she strode through the station, she barely noted that most people gave her wide berth either because they were cognizant of who she was or because of the commando armour she wore. With her head and face hidden beneath her helmet they naturally assumed she was asari; an assumption that she was well aware of and in fact encouraged.

Ten minutes had passed since her arrival before Rhova finally arrived at The Fringe, which put her nearly on time from when she had told Thaisa she arrive. Outside the entrance of The Fringe, stood a bored looking krogan who apparently served as the club's bouncer. He ignored several people as they entered the place ahead of her, however, when he saw Rhova approach he pushed away from the wall and held out a hand to stop her.

"Hold it! You can't go in there with that case; it needs to be left with security."

There was no apology or hesitation in her reply, "No. It stays with me."

"Then you can't go in… Check the bag," the krogan retorted gruffly.

The air shimmered around Rhova's armour as she gnashed her teeth in annoyance. She could feel the hairs along her arms bristle with the energy of the biotic field that was beginning to form in an involuntary response to her temper. She had to force herself to take a deep breath just as an asari wearing commando amour similar to Rhova's exited the club, interrupting the bribe she was about to make the bouncer. If an expression could be described as both surprised and impatient, the asari demonstrated it.

"Rhova!"

Wide blue eyes took in the situation in a glance and the asari's expression became smug. "Stop flirting with the krogan and come along; we've got to be on our way and don't have time to waste on your personal life."

Rhova spluttered and the krogan growled in indignation, exclaiming at the same time. "Flirting!"

The asari ignored their grumbling denials and swiftly walked past them, heading in the direction of the taxi hub. The krogan waved the two away in disgust before resuming his position against the wall, while Rhova quickened her pace to catch up with the asari. Her voice held more than a little sarcasm when she did catch up.

"Good to see you too, Thaisa."

"Don't use that tone with me, Rhova. I just received a report that a merc ship just docked at the station, coming in from Bekke space. Which, if I'm not mistaken, is where you just arrived from. Perhaps someone you know?" Thaisa didn't bother to slow her step but she did glance over her shoulder to give Rhova a meaningful look.

They passed by the hub without stopping and Rhova knew better than to question Thaisa. She'd likely not get any response from the asari. Their destination couldn't be far if Thaisa was worried about time, so it was no surprise that they turned off the main corridor toward a hangar only a couple minutes away. There was less traffic down the hallway and the few people that they did pass seemed to have no interest in the pair and Rhova and Thaisa remained focused on reaching the hangar.

Despite the fact there were no windows along the hangar approach, Rhova didn't need to see outside to know which ship was docked in the bay. Owned in part by Thaisa and herself, the asari ship _Mahet_ served as their home away from home. An older ship, it had seen a lot of action but upgrades had improved the ship so the lines were still sleek while it sported some of the most advanced armaments. It was not so large that it needed a big crew to run but it had room for twenty people; however, besides themselves, the regular crew consisted of a handful of asari and one quarian.

As they waited in the airlock, Rhova removed her helmet and rubbled a gloved hand over her hair. She did not bother to make any small talk with Thaisa but instead stood in companionable silence. It was merely a relief to finally feel like she was back on familiar footing.

The decontamination and pressurization cycle completed and the interior door opened with a _whoosh_. On the other side stood yet another asari commando, her arms folded across her chest and frowning expression on her face; however, Rhova spotted the unmistakable sparkle of amusement in the asari's violet gaze. Standing to the commando's right stood a male quarian, his blue and black enviro suit gleaming brightly beneath the overhead lights.

The asari was the first to greet the pair. "So, the roving prodigal returns." Her lips curled upward at the play on Rhova's name, a joke that never seemed to grow old with the asari.

In a dry tone of voice, Rhova supplied the expected response. "Wow, that's very witty Mara. Did you come up with that on your own? I can't imagine it _ever_ tiring."

Mara gave an over-exaggerated roll of her eyes before breaking into a wide grin. Reaching out with both hands, the asari gripped Rhova's forearms and squeezed them in a warm greeting. "We were starting to get worried about you. Another day longer and your sister would have had us out scouring the Abyss for you."

Thaisa wrinkled her nose and gave a snort. "Unlikely. Another day longer and I might have posted for a more pleasant first officer. Although it might have been hard to explain to Bexia why I returned home without our sister."

Thaisa winked at the quarian and moved past the group. "Excuse me but it seems like we have the need for a bit of haste. Another of Rhova's admirers has picked up on her trail."

Mara excused herself as well to join Thaisa, leaving Rhova with the quarian. Tall and broad-shouldered, Dhar'kenn vas Mahet had the sole honour of being the only masculine presence aboard the ship. An expert at data retrieval and intelligence analysis and a considerable force with a gun in his hand, he was as much as part of the crew as any of the asari aboard, and her closest friend. Smiling widely, she punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Drake! I bet you'd be the first to apply if Thaisa was looking for a new XO."

There was a soft metallic click and a rasping laugh emitted from inside the suit. "Yes certainly, but only because I eventually want to be captain."

Rhova picked up her case and left the airlock, motioning for Dhar'kenn to follow her. "I've missed you friend, seventeen days is a long time to go without having anyone to talk to, even for me." As they walked through the corridor she nodded to an asari seated at a console but didn't stop to talk.

The floor trembled under their feet and there was a slight jarring as the ship pulled out of dock before Thaisa's voice came over the intercom. "We'll be making the transition to FTL in less than a minute and then an estimated 47 minutes until we reach the Relay."

At the elevator door, Rhova took the data card she had recovered from the derelict ship out of her armour and held it up. She eyed it critically before handing it to Dhar'kenn. "Take a look at this will you, Drake? Let's find out what's important enough to hijack an Alliance ship and kill everyone aboard."

The elevator opened and she made a face as she stepped into the empty carriage. "I'll meet you in the communications room shortly. Be thankful for your enviro suit, friend. The smell out here is dreadful. Seventeen days is a long time to go without a proper shower." His laugh echoed through the corridor as she punched the button for the second floor.

On the crew deck Rhova entered her room, a moderately sized cabin with a single bunk and space enough to allow a tiny desk and chair. Dropping her case on the chair, she turned to the recessed closet space in the side wall that held all her clothing. Taking out a set of plain brown commando leathers, she set the outfit onto her bunk before she unfastened her armour. She removed each piece with practiced efficiency and left her armour lying on the floor as she entered the bathroom that adjoined to her cabin. After flicking on the shower, stepped inside and roughly scrubbed soap through her hair and over her skin. She denied herself the leisure of enjoying her first shower with running water in three weeks and instead cleaned quickly, intent to rejoin the others for a briefing before their arrival.

Rhova grabbed the towel that was folded neatly on the shelf in the bathroom and dried her hair before wrapping the damp cloth around her body. Standing before the mirror she paused to glance at her reflection. Aqua-green eyes stared back and her black hair was shaped close to her skull in damp curls. She turned her chin toward her right shoulder so she could have a better look at her left cheek. Rhova twisted her mouth so that the skin stretched across the cheek; she couldn't prevent herself from tracing the pink scar that lanced across the pale skin, a reminder to never let her guard down. Though it had faded significantly since she had received it, she knew it was never going to fully disappear.

In her room, she dropped the towel onto the bed and pulled on the commando outfit. Glancing at small console sitting on her desk, she marked the time before leaving the room. Twenty minutes remained before they went through the Relay.

Back up on the main deck again, Rhova joined Dhar'kenn, who was seated at a table next to array of consoles on the starboard side of the ship. Referred to as a room, in actuality it was a wall covered in screens and holographic displays, used not only for communication but also to access to the extranet and a secure database of information back on Illium.

Dhar'kenn's hands were moving quickly as he flipped through menus over the holographic screens before him. Rhova stood behind his chair waiting for him to acknowledge her presence instead of interrupting his search. She noted a few words that flipped by on his screen were in English but for the most part, they were asari mixed with a few quarian words. Dhar'kenn flipped back to a previous screen, a star map, and pointed a finger at a marking in the top corner.

"There. See that?"

She leaned close to get a better look; it was a symbol that resembled a crescent-moon shape. "What is it? Does it belong to any known organization?"

Dhar'kenn shook his head and keyed through a few more entries before bringing up another screen. This one was filled with numerical data in columns and again he pointed to a crescent embedded in the data. "I haven't been able to match it to any of our records but as soon as I started pulling data off that stick and began my search, it's been coming up every where." The quarian turned to glance up at Rhova, his face all but obscured behind the blue tint of his faceplate, so she had no insight to his expression. However, she could hear the quiet concern in his tone.

"Tell me Drake… what have you found so far." Taking the seat next to him, Rhova waited for him to answer.

"To be honest, I don't know what most of this stuff is yet. There is a lot of scientific data, possibly genetic sequencing. There's also some imaging that looks to be from plants or another type of organic life, along with star charts." Dhar'kenn started to type on the console again, pushing through several more screens of information, a lot of which appeared to still be encrypted. Rhova turned her attention to the screen and watched for a few more minutes as he sorted through even more data.

"Approximately seventy to eighty percent of this is encrypted; what I've seen so far mostly just points to scientific research. Not really your typical Alliance intel."

"No one said that the intel belonged to the Alliance. Perhaps that is why they are all dead now." They both turned around as Thaisa came up behind them. "Eleven minutes before we pass through the Relay," she added.

Rhova nodded absently, her thoughts on the details that Drake had revealed. "Perhaps Kjaera will have a better insight." She tapped onto a keyboard and brought up the sensor functions. "Any further sign of my pursuer?"

"No. Hopefully that means they have no idea about what was on that ship or who was there. They likely won't follow us out of the Abyss but if they did, they'd be fools to come after us."

"Fools or just very determined."

"True." Thaisa finally gave her attention to Rhova. "Ugh, your hair is still wet. Did you forget that you're back with civilisation?"

Dhar'kenn continued to scan data as the pair conversed, but finally interjected with a trace of annoyance in his voice. "Hello? Trying to work here, a little bit of quiet would be nice."

Used to the quarian's highhandedness, Rhova made a face at him but stood up. "Fine, we'll leave you to it. The more you can have deciphered by the time we reach Illium, the better."

"Illium? But we're going to..." Dhar'keen question was cutoff in an abrupt grunt as Thaisa put a hand on the quarian's shoulder and squeezed.

In a forced tone, she corrected him. "Illium."

Rhova looked between the two before glaring at Thaisa suspiciously. "Where did he think we were going, Thaisa?" Each word was enunciated carefully.

The asari pressed her lips together and shrugged, refraining from saying anything further. Rhova shifted her gaze to Dhar'kenn but the quarian bent his head and, if it were possible, he'd begun to type faster. Her eyes went wide, more green than blue now, and she fisted her hands at her sides as they began shimmer and glow with biotic energy. In a warning tone, she said, "Thaisa... Please tell me what I'm thinking is wrong."

When the asari woman said nothing, Rhova whirled on her heel and walked away, heading back toward the elevator and her cabin. Over the intercom a voice reminded them, "One minute, captain."

Thaisa couldn't prevent herself from giving a parting order to her sister. "And dry your hair while you're down there, Rhova. They won't let us on the Presidium if you're looking like a drowned cat."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

As Rhova exited the elevator, there was a pulling sensation in her knees and a slight hitch in her breath as a hum of energy passed over the hull of the _Mahet_. For many, passing through a Relay had become just another an indiscernible moment in their day but Rhova could always pinpoint the exact second they passed through the rocketing sling of the Mass Effect fields. Their arrival in the Serpent Nebula meant that she had an hour to prepare herself before they docked.

Inside her cabin, Rhova yanked a recon helmet out of her closet and threw it onto her bed with a curse.

The damned Citadel and all those humans in one location.

The place gave her nightmares and ever since the Battle of the Citadel, humans seemed to have a larger presence than ever. She didn't even spare a thought that it was her own species that she cursed.

Out in the Terminus, she could easily avoid contact with most humans. They tended to be the minority race in the locations she frequented and banded together in small numbers, she could more comfortably tolerate being around them. On those rare occasions she still returned to the Citadel, she kept her visits brief and even then stayed away from the more human dominated wards, but her life had not always been ruled by this strong uneasiness around other people.

Exposed to a substantial dose of eezo while in-utero - an exposure that eventually caused her mother's own death - Rhova was one of the fortunate few who survived and was born with biotic powers. As a consequence, she and her father Robert, often visited the Citadel in order to facilitate medical procedures and to consult with other biotics to aid in her training. Despite the distress of these processes, Rhova looked forward to the freedom and the expanse of the station, after the long weeks of isolated space travel.

On one such visit when she was near the age of twelve, she displayed an unwanted outburst of power and as a result had garnered the unwanted attention of a group of a pro-human anti-biotics zealots. In Rhova the group found the perfect example of everything they thought was wrong with human biotics, - a child with no control over their powers and a parent who encouraged his daughter to embrace guidance from the other galactic species.

At a moment when she had been separated from her father in a crowd, the zealot group caught her unaware and stole her away to a storage warehouse block. After keeping her imprisoned in a dark room for more than seventy-two hours they'd organized a demonstration in which they'd hoped to show the public how dangerous biotics were. They planned to take Rhova into a busy corridor and provoke her into attacking them and then in turn, they'd be forced to kill her. However, just as one of the women put a blade to Rhova's throat, rescue had come from an unlikely source; a group of asari commando's that had been visiting the Citadel happened to come across the event and were angered by the treatment of the young girl, human or not.

After that event, Rhova became wary in large crowds and extremely mistrustful of people in general and humans specifically. Even now there were still many nights she could not fall asleep without having a light on and more often than she would admit, she woke grabbing at her throat, the image of the knife fresh in her mind. In spite of all that happened, there had been at least one good thing to come from the incident. It was through the group of commando's that Rhova's father had met his bond-mate, an asari named Alaya and though her, Rhova gained a new life; through Alaya and Robert's union, a "half-sister" Bexia, and Alaya's daughter from her previous mate, Thaisa, who had become as close to Rhova as any human sister would have been.

Already well trained as a commando, Thaisa took it upon herself to help Rhova master her own biotics and taught her the discipline and battle tactics practiced by that elite class of asari fighters. For nearly two decades Rhova trained alongside Thaisa, strengthening not only her abilities but the bond forged between the two. After Rhova had proven her place among the asari unit was deserved, it seemed only logical that she join them as they hired out for mercenary work. It was those same abilities that had given her a place among the elite warriors, that had also caught the attention of the Alliance and gave her new reason to dread returning to the Citadel.

_Damned bureaucrats._

She picked up the travel case she had brought in when she arrived, set it on the bed and unhooked the latches. She sorted through her belongings carefully until she found a favourite pistol. Rhova paused with it in her hand in a moment of indecision, before she removed it to check the thermal clip and security switch. She clicked it into the holster on hip but it did not provide the peace of mind she had hoped it would, so she turned to the case again to examine the other pistols inside but with nothing more than a cursory glance, she closed the lid. It would make no difference; she would not be able to shoot everyone on the Citadel just because they got in her personal space and took away her sense of comfort.

Rhova sighed heavily and ran her fingers back through her still damp hair and was reminded of Thaisa's parting comment. She would have preferred to leave it wet just to spite her sister but that would only be uncomfortable for her, the damp locks would only remain so inside her helmet. Picking up the discarded towel, she rubbed it vigorously over her head again before she entered the bathroom and finished the task with the hot air dryer. That task complete, she returned to the cabin and picked up the armour she'd left lying on the floor and stacked it neatly within her closet. On the Citadel she usually wore her standard leather armour, the same as Thaisa and the other commandos, but her own idiosyncrasies also drove her to wear a helmet travelling through the station. Stretched up on her toes, she pulled down the gloves that matched her leathers and a simple recon hood. Tucking the gloves inside the hood, she left her cabin for the second time in an hour.

In the cockpit, Thaisa stood behind the pilot murmuring low commands to ensure there was no trouble while docking the ship and was just giving direction to take the ship into Dock 1017 when Rhova joined them. The expression on the human woman's face anything but impressed.

"It's bad enough that you didn't tell me that we were coming to the Citadel until after we left Carta, but do we really need to dock there?"

Thaisa eyed her bond-sister with a looked filled with a century's worth of wisdom and pragmatically replied, "There is no sense in inconveniencing ourselves by waiting in the transport queue when we have the privilege of a private dock."

The reminder only made Rhova frown, a vee forming between the dark arches of her brows, but before she could form a rejoinder, there was an incoming message. The asari pilot toggled a switch and a voice came over the comm link.

"Welcome back starship _Mahet_, please standby for docking clearance."

Rhova tapped a foot in annoyance, ignoring the annoyed look that Thaisa gave her. If anything, she tapped it louder.

"I don't see what this behaviour is proving, Rhova. With luck we will be able to speak with Kjaera and then be gone again in a couple of days."

"You know I really dislike you right now, don't you Thaisa?"

The asari captain shrugged and turned back to look out the window. Once the Citadel flight controller gave them approval to dock, she nodded at the pilot for her to take the ship in.

"Go see if Dhar'kenn is ready and I'll meet you two in the airlock." Rhova took her time as she pulled on her gloves, her attention caught by something out the port window. She'd never admit it to anyone but as much as she disliked the Citadel, seeing the station from the outside always left her in awe. When they were nearly in dock, she turned to go find the quarian. _No doubt he is still in the communications room_, she thought, so she was slightly surprised to find him waiting with a case next to the main entry airlock.

"Drake, I would never have guessed you'd be anxious to be on the Citadel," she teased. If anything, she knew that he disliked the place nearly as much as she did. Too often the quarians tended to be treated as less than second class citizens in council space.

"Well I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity for a fresh meal. The food on Cartagena came from freeze dried supplies, who knows how many decades old." His respirator clicked twice and there was a murmured chuckle. "Besides, it's always entertaining watching you squirm while going through security."

Rhova knew he was only teasing but it was true. Bad enough being in such a densely populated area but arriving at the Citadel meant she also had to acknowledge her past during the security check. Gnashing her teeth together, she put her hood on and secured the fastenings. The enclosed helmet might effectively hide her expression but she knew it would not hide her identity from the scanners. It was only a small reassurance to believe she could retain some anonymity among the general public. "Careful Drake or maybe I'll tell them you work with me."

The quarian raised his hands in a placating gesture. "No, no… that's alright; no more teasing Rhova. I'll be on my best behaviour from now on."

The floor rumbled beneath their feet and Rhova felt her weight redistribute itself as the ship docked and they took on the Citadel's gravity pull. Only a few seconds after that, Thaisa joined the pair outfitted in her own commando leathers but unlike the human woman, she'd chosen to forgo carrying any weapons off the ship. The captain looked at her bond-sister and laid a reassuring hand on Rhova's shoulder.

"It'll be alright, Rhova." Her tone was sincere; the asari knew of the other woman's nightmares and why it was such a hardship for her to come into the Citadel.

In the airlock area, the trio stood patiently as they waited for the outer door to open. When it did, all was quiet outside the ship; there were no guards present nor was anyone else on the platform to greet them - one of the other benefits of docking in a private hangar. Their travel cases in hand, the group crossed to the opposite side of the platform and summoned the elevator that would take them to customs, located near the heart of the main Citadel security offices. There was no one else on the elevator when they entered and a soft melody played in the background as they descended from the docking platform.

Dhar'kenn set his case on the floor near his feet and began to hum softly with the music, the metallic echo from within his helmet creating a discordant sound. Rhova gripped the handle on her case tighter and the action didn't go unnoticed by the quarian.

"Thaisa, twenty credits say she smashes a console before admitting her name."

Thaisa pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers and shook her head. "Now you're just encouraging her temper." However, the asari wasn't so perfect that she could pass up a bit ribbing of her own and she dropped her hand to reveal azure-coloured eyes that sparkled with humour. "Besides, that is not a good wager. She never reacts the same way twice. My twenty credits say she returns to the ship."

Rhova let the remarks pass without comment and when the elevator stopped at it's destination she was quick to march out ahead of her companions. "What are you waiting for? You'll want to see this, I'm about to make an easy forty credits."

Chuckles echoed behind her as Dhar'kenn and Thaisa exited after her.

As usual, the arrivals area was bustling with activity. Rhova could hear no less than three separate news feeds broadcasting over the sounds of customs counters arguments and the electronic tones of a synth band. A quick glance around the area was enough to see that most of the crowd coming into the Presidum were human, turian, asari or salarian - the four races that held a seat on the Council. That wasn't to say they were the only races though. In one corner of the area, stood a couple of elcor, the deep monotone of their conversation nearly lost in the din and at a nearby customs desk, Rhova counted no less than one hanar, three batarians and a volus waiting to speak with an agent.

Her attention focused solely on watching the crowd, she was taken by surprise when someone placed a hand on he elbow. Sharply she whirled toward the source, her hand going for her pistol as she did so.

Dhar'kenn immediately released her arm and spoke quietly. "Easy Rhova, it's just me."

He nodded his head to an exit to the right, across the room. "I was just saying that looks like the quickest way out, less people lined up." Rhova felt embarrassment colour her face as she murmured an apology to her friend. She motioned to Thaisa and indicated the exit before she began to manoeuvre her way through the crowd.

Drake's assessment proved correct and by the time they had reached the exit, everyone had already moved through it and the C-Sec guards - a turian and a human - motioned their group forward. The human finished marking something off on his datapad before he spoke.

"Names and purpose for your visit to the Presidum." He allowed his gaze to drift over the group - an odd trio to his way of thinking, a pair of asari commandos and a quarian - before settling on Rhova's pistol. Abruptly he informed them, "No firearms allowed in the Presidum. You're going to have go back over to the customs counter and check your gun in with them first."

Several possible sarcastic replies sprang to Rhova's mind before she decided to just get the inevitable over with. Slowly she took a step forward into the range of the scanner and in muted tones, she stated her name. "Special Deputy Marshal Lyft, here for a classified appointment." She kept her head forward as the sensor passed over her, confirming her identity. With a motion of her hand, she indicated the pair standing behind her. "You should see that my clearance has been approved by both the Asari Embassy and the Systems Alliance. Clearance for my companions, Dhar'kenn vas Mahet and Thaisa Silveris, should also be noted under sub-section three."

Rhova stepped away from the scanner, allowing her companions to pass through for confirmation of their identities and even helpfully added, "The only weapon we're taking in with us is my pistol. It should say on my ident file that I'm permitted to carry weapons."

The guard typed a series of commands into his datapad, an expression of surprise on his face when he looked back up again. "My apologies, I didn't recognize you as special forces…" He made a vague motion toward her with his hand, "Dressed as you were."

She said nothing further to the officer as they were allowed to pass through the gate but over her shoulder she remarked to her companions, "I believe you each owe me twenty credits."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

In the lower wards beyond the C-Sec arrivals area, it was no less busy and even noisier. The sounds of newscasts, advertisements, music, along with the rapid transit system, created a cacophony of sound. The only way conversations could be heard was if you were standing right next to one another.

Thaisa had picked up the pace to take the lead and directed the group across the corridor toward the rapid transit hub, but she first made a detour to an extranet terminal.

"Need to check on our rooms first," she said by way of explanation.

Rhova nodded absently, her attention focused primarily on the many people standing around talking and by those walking through the corridors. Dhar'kenn joined Thaisa at the terminal and stood by her shoulder, watching the terminal as she searched through the business listings on the Citadel. Placing her case on the floor next to the quarian, Rhova moved a few feet beyond her companions and paced in a slow semi-circle as she tried to relax.

It was always the same after she had to admit to her professional title and connections. Tension gathered between her shoulder blades and a fist of cold apprehension settled in the pit of her stomach. Added to that was the flush feeling in her face and the pins-and-needles on edge sensation that being around so many humans did to her. She tipped her head back and rolled her shoulders as her breathing became shallow. They'd only been on the station for an hour, it would only get worse from here. Rhova started to feel ill.

« »

Across the corridor, a pair of uniformed officers had been in deep conversation when the asari and the quarian came through C-Sec. There would have been nothing remarkable in that, but asari never failed to catch Max Brandis's attention. A commander with the Systems Alliance, Max had worked hard to gain the position he held but he also knew when to relax and enjoy life. Tall and blonde-haired, he was charming and had a keen sense of humour. He enjoyed his job both for the locations that it took him and for the people that he met; he had a special appreciation of the alien beauty of the asari.

The second officer, Captain Quill Rosse, was more reserved and deliberate; a sentiment that was often reflected in his expression. Max often teased the captain that he would make the perfect poster child for Alliance recruiting. Only slightly shorter than Max, Quill was dark haired and had a steady grey gaze. When a person spoke to him, they knew that he listened and was interested in what they said. It was an attitude that had gained him the respect and trust of his fellow officers and crew.

As Max's attention drifted away from their conversation, Quill glanced across the concourse to see what had held the commander's attention. At first glance, there was nothing particularly notable about the trio, except perhaps the quarian. While not a race not overly common on the Citadel, both officers' had seen quarians before. It was only when the helmeted asari turned that the captain saw she apparently had authority to carry a firearm past security. An indication that she was likely someone of import. While her companions were preoccupied looking at an extranet terminal, she had started to pace and Max arched a brow suggestively at his friend.

"Do you think she looks a bit bored, Quill? Perhaps I'd better go make sure they're not lost." His dark brown eyes sparkled mischievously as started to take a step in their direction.

A frown pulling at his brows, the other officer cleared his throat and reached a hand to stop Max. "Not this time, Max. They look like asari commandos and not your typical dancers. They're likely to flay you to shreds for what you're thinking."

Max, unrepentant, grinned widely. "Still, they may be a bit more fun than a dancer." The junior officer sighed as his friend's expression remained reproving. "Captain, has anyone ever told you that you need to loosen up?"

Used to the often repeated comment from his first officer and best friend, Quill ignored Max as he thoughtfully watched the asari make yet another semi-circle loop around her companions. The action was telling for a member of a race that was not known for impatience. He switched his attention back to study the asari's companions.

The other commando had a dark blue-purple complexion with lighter blue markings along her forehead and a line of cerulean bisected her chin. She was un-helmeted and unarmed. _Perhaps a different rank than the other asari?_ he wondered.

The third member of the group was a quarian male, who had casually taken a position leaning against the wall next to the terminal. Quill judged him to be a similar height to Max but anything more he couldn't tell as the quarian's dark enviro-suit effectively hid any details of his face and form. Quill was about to remark on the quarian's presence but was interrupted by a loud disturbance near the customs office.

A scream echoed over the din of the crowd and both men snapped to attention. Along the passageway, several people stopped to glance around to see whe had caused the noise. Only seconds following the scream, a human male burst through a cluster of people near customs, causing one turian to stumble into another and a nearby volus to teeter over backwards. His forehead creased in a concerned frown, Quill began to stride toward the fracas when someone else screamed. It was only then that that captain noted the pistol the man was waving around a pistol madly.

Several C-Sec officers flooded into the hallway and slowly stalked after the offender, issuing orders to drop the weapon and to remain calm. A person nearest to the man broke away from the crowd and ran for safety but the action caused the man to jump nervously and his finger jerked on the trigger of the gun. Fortunately the bullet went wide, embedding itself in a holo-panel but the shot stirred the crowd into a panic.

It was chaos.

« »

Rhova knew she was going to lose the bet to Thaisa after all. At that moment, all she wanted was to return to the ship to seek the solace of her cabin and she had just turned to collect her travel case when something caught her eye. A young, human family had taken a seat just outside the customs office and were enthusiastically urging their toddler to take several steps across the walkway. The father leaned forward with his hands outstretched, motioning the child to continue, while mother spoke in soft tones. Rhova wished she was closer to hear what was being said but she imagined it was something encouraging.

Her attention so focused on the scene, at first she did not notice the surge in the crowd by the arrivals gate until she heard the scream. Immediately coming alert, Rhova turned her whole body toward the source and assessed the situation. _Some idiot trying to break through security but he's not going to get far. _It was only then that she noticed the gun he held and she felt the breath hitch in her chest as he rushed in the direction of the family she had been watching.

Without conscious decision Rhova started forward, her intent to diffuse the situation before anything could happen, except she hadn't taken a full step when something caused the man to jump and pull the trigger. That was enough to send everyone on the concourse running in all directions. Wending her way past the scurrying bodies, Rhova craned her neck trying to see if the family had been able to move away. As she drew closer she could see that the parents were still near the benches, standing motionless with horrified expressions on their faces. She cursed silently_._

Half-way to her destination, the last of the crowd waned and Rhova had a full view of the area. She could now see that the young toddler clutched at his mother's leg and was crying loudly but the couple still did not move. C-Sec officers had spread out to flank the gunman but he had trained his pistol toward the couple to prevent the guards from making any offensive manoeuvres - that was his first mistake.

The blood rushed from Rhova's head as she surveyed the situation in a growing rage. She was only dimly aware of a senior C-Sec officer speaking in even tones, trying to convince the human that nothing would happen if only he would set down his gun. As Rhova judged the distance across the space to the couple, an electric current spread through the eezo nodes along her spine, like someone had poured warm water down her back. She was facing the human but luck was on her side and he paid her no attention - his second mistake.

A C-Sec guard took a step closer which caused the man to look that direction and it momentarily caused him to wave his pistol away from the young family. That was when Rhova spied her opening. She lowered her chin toward her chest and leaned forward to propel herself across the space dividing them in a biotic charge; the sudden influx of air that replaced her presence creating a low reverberating boom as she moved.

The man clearly hadn't expected anyone to suddenly appear in the space before him, so the appearance of the fully outfitted commando was a shock. In surprise, he pull the trigger on his gun again and fired a bullet into her mid-section. It was a reaction that Rhova had partly expected, so it did little to slow down her momentum.

She let out an angry shout before aiming a well placed kick at the man's knee, sending him into a sprawl on the floor.

"You bastard! That's a small child you were threatening!"

Rhova stomped a foot down on his chest and raised her right hand in a fist, energy bathing the appendage in blue light. "Perhaps you'd like to see first hand what it's like to be at the mercy of someone stronger?"

The man whimpered and squirmed trying to dislodge her foot, his voice a whine as he said, "Please! Please… I didn't want to hurt anyone… I just wanted to speak with the Ambassador and they wouldn't let me through."

She growled and leaned her weight forward onto her foot, unwilling to be placated by his pleas. As Rhova lifted her fist higher, a hand settled over her wrist and gently tugged. A quiet, accented voice saying her name broke her focus, "Rhov."

Shifting her attention toward her hand, she became aware of two fingers curled over her forearm and when she looked up she found herself peering into a blue tinted faceplate. Only Drake would dare to interfere while her temper simmered on the surface. The two of them stood at an impasse for a long moment, the only sound was the low moaning of the culprit at her feet and the soft mechanical click of the quarian's respirator unit.

When at last she was sufficiently calmed, Rhova lowered her hand and stepped back from her prisoner, which C-Sec took as their cue to cautiously approach. She gave Drake a reassuring nod as he continued to keep a grip on her wrist, until he finally released her with a pat on the shoulder. When he spoke, she could hear the smile in his voice, "Well done."

Dhar'kenn ushered Rhova away from the culprit and left her standing alone while he went to get their baggage. Somewhere to her left she could hear Thaisa speaking with some of the men from C-Sec as they took the gunman into custody. She was only dimly aware that a pair of Alliance officers had checked on the family; of the young couple hugging their child in relief. For herself, she took a fortifying breath but let out a muted grunt at the dull pain radiating from below her ribs on the left side. She'd almost forgotten about the second shot the man had fired. Lucky for her it hadn't breached her kinetic barrier but it felt like it was going to leave a bruise. She folded an arm across her mid-section as a wave of her earlier nausea returned.

There was a tap on her arm as a strange voice spoke from behind her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

The Alliance captain had approached to praise her on resolving the situation without bloodshed, but he had noted the arm pressed across her stomach. He stepped into her field of vision and she felt momentarily stunned by the genuine concern in his light grey eyes. Rhova swayed slightly as her vision swam and he placed hands on her shoulder to steady her. Beyond the officer, she spied the family shyly approaching as well and it was suddenly too much.

She shook off the officer's hand and lurched away brusquely, only managing to spit out a terse cry to her friends. The last thing she wanted was to be sick inside her helmet.

"I'm leaving!"

Dhar'kenn had not returned in time to stop the Alliance officer from touching Rhova but he saw her jump away and guessed at her dilemma. The quarian returned to her side in time to stop the captain from reaching out to Rhova again.

Shaking his head, Dhar'kenn raised a hand in apology to the Alliance officer. "Don't, that it will only make it worse," he said. With a gentle push he directed Rhova toward toward the rapid transit car that sat waiting at the hub and called over his shoulder for the asari. "Thaisa."

Understanding the situation at once, Thaisa quickly gave her apologies to the C-Sec officers and followed after her friends.

Max came up behind Quill and let out a low whistle as the trio departed abruptly. "I've never seen anyone tackle an armed gunman like that! That was intense." He slid a sideways look at Quill, "And here you warned me to not pester the commandos. What did you say to her to make her storm off like that?"

Quill was still trying to sort that out himself. The last thing he'd expected was for her to withdraw so violently when he asked if she was okay. He also wondered at the quarian's warning. _Touching her would only make _what_ worse?_ Pushing that thought aside, he offered only one conclusion for her behaviour.

"She was hurt; the pain must given over to shock." He shrugged and headed toward the transit hub himself. "Come on, we've been standing around long enough. Let's go find out why they called us back in from shore leave."

« »

Inside the transit car, Rhova fumbled with the fastenings on her helmet until she finally removed it with a sigh. The cool air inside the vehicle was refreshing and she sank back against the seat with her eyes closed. In the seat in front of her, Thaisa was explaining what she had learned from the C-Sec officers.

"The lieutenant said that man had been to customs three times in the past seven days, determined to get through to speak with the human Ambassador but he'd been flagged as a threat. He tried to push his way through the guards once before and they denied him access. He tried to do the same again, except this time he brought a gun."

Dhar'kenn kept his attention to steering the car, but his voice held a tone of curiosity as he asked, "Did they say why he wanted to speak to the Ambassador?"

"Something about a friend who'd been arrested smuggling dangerous cargo onto the Citadel and was implicated in the crime himself. There wasn't enough evidence to put him in jail but he was fined for providing the access codes into one of the warehouses." Thaisa leaned forward to indicate the exit they needed for their destination. "I guess he wanted the Ambassador to clear the charges. Now he's got some even more serious charges that aren't likely to go away."

From the backseat, Rhova muttered darkly, "If they do, I've got my own list of charges to press against him."

The quarian eased from a stream of traffic and carefully set the car down toward a transit stand. Flicking a switch, he settled the vehicle into an empty spot before shutting down the vehicle. "No doubt you do, Marshal," he teased, before pushing open the door.

Exiting the car, they collected their bags and headed in the direction of the hotel where their rooms were booked. Close to the asari embassy, this area of the Presidium was in a predominantly asari populated area and most businesses nearby catered specifically to their needs. As they walked along the corridor, a few asari remarked on the commando and the human woman dressed as a commando, but many were ambivalent to the sight. These days it seemed many humans were embracing more and more of the asari culture in an effort to ingratiate themselves to the other species on the Citadel.

Away from the main corridor they entered a narrow hallway which took them down several steps into a courtyard. A few benches and trees were grouped strategically in the area, providing a quiet place away from the thoroughfare to relax. Crossing the terrace, they headed beneath an archway on the opposite end which bore the signage to identify the building as The Anix. Entering into the lobby, Thaisa approached an asari woman standing behind the counter and proceeded to identify herself for check-in. Within a couple of minutes, Thaisa returned to her friends with key-cards in hand for their suite.

The room was on the fifth floor and when they exited the elevator, the asari said, "Seventh door. It should be at the end of the hall. Since we don't know how long we'll be yet, I got ourselves a suite with four bedrooms and a living area."

It made no difference to Dhar'kenn but Rhova slowed her step and repeated, "We don't know how long we'll be?"

At the last door of the hallway, Thaisa pressed the key-card against the security panel. The door separated in the middle, each section sliding into the wall as the portal opened. "You know how these meetings are, Rhova. We wait for Kjaera to schedule an appointment with us; we plan our next steps; and then, we make arrangements to accommodate the next mission. It could be several days before we get out of here."

The room beyond the hallway was plain but elegant. All the furniture looked brand-new and each piece was placed with care so that it didn't appear that the furniture was added as an after-thought. The majority of the wall opposite of the door was glass, which provided a view out into the Presidium and also allowed simulated daylight into the room. The space in the center of the room was filled with a couch that curved into a half-circle, with two large lounge chairs placed opposite to form a comfortable seating area for conversations. Positioned to one side of the room was an eating area, a table with six chairs with room to still add more. On either side of the entrance, were doors leading into the first two bedrooms and further down the wall were two more doors, presumably for the other two bedrooms.

Immediately turning to her left, Rhova went toward one of the interior bedrooms. "This room will suit me. The less I have to see of that place out there," she waved a hand in the direction of the windows, "the happier I'll be."

Thaisa shrugged and moved to the room alongside the one Rhova choose. She didn't have a problem looking out onto the architectural marvel of the Presidium. Dhar'kenn wasn't precisely bothered by the view, but he too chose to take the other interior room. "The other is a bit too… open… feeling," was his explanation.

Inside her room, Rhova sat down on the edge of the bed and turned on her omni-tool to check her messages. She quickly removed several that were irrelevant until there were only two messages remaining. One was from Kjaera, confirming she'd be able to meet with them tomorrow and the other was from Admiral Jehng. Rhova turned the omni-tool off without reading the second message and she pressed the palms of her hands over her eyes. _This day only needed this, _she thought_._

Closing her eyes she fell back onto the bed with an arm slung over her face. She didn't have to guess as to why the Admiral would send her a message but she could pretend it wasn't there, at least for a little bit longer. Slowing her breathing, Rhova allowed herself to relax and seek meditation in sleep.


End file.
